Is assistant dean a high position?

Yes, an Assistant Dean is a significant administrative leadership role in higher education, acting as a key support for a Dean and overseeing specific functions like student affairs, operations, or academic programs, often holding faculty rank (like Associate Professor) and handling responsibilities below a Dean but above department chairs. It's a respected, senior staff position with considerable responsibility for strategic planning and daily operations.

What is the role of an assistant dean?

Assistant Deans are typically non-faculty appointments and are responsible for leading a functional area within a college or school, such as operations, admissions/registration, alumni affairs/external relations, academic programs/education, academic advising/career development, research, student services, etc.

What is the hierarchy of academic titles?

The standard academic ranks are Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. The standard professorial titles (and where appropriate Instructor) are significantly altered by the addition of modifiers such as Emeritus, University, Clinical, Research, Adjunct, or Visiting.

Is an assistant dean still a dean?

Such a dean is usually a tenured professor from one of the departments, but gives up most teaching and research activities upon assuming the deanship. Other senior administrative positions in higher education may also carry the title of dean (or a lesser title such as associate dean or assistant dean).

How much do assistant deans make in the US?

Annually Salaries for Assistant-Dean in the US vary widely, spanning from $101,573 to $154,673. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($119,059) and 75th percentile ($146,854), while top earners (90th percentile) make $154,673 per year.

Conversation with Dan Noneaker, Associate Dean for Research

Do deans make a lot of money?

How Much Does A Dean Make ? Dean make $114,341 per year on average, or $54.97 per hour, in the United States. Dean on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $47,400 a year, while the top 10% makes $157,926.

Is $100,000 a good salary in the USA?

Considering what the median income is in many countries, incl the USA, 100,000 usd is a very good income.

How should I address an assistant dean?

For instance, when you're emailing with someone that has “Dean” in their title (whether Dean, Associate Dean, or Assistant Dean), Associate Dean Barbara DiGiacomo for example, you would begin with “Dear Dean DiGiacomo.” Beginning with “Hey Firstname” or no salutation at all is considered unprofessional.

Is being a dean a good job?

For all that a dean's job may be difficult, we should not lose sight of the fact that the opportunity to affect change that touches the lives of students and faculty across campus also makes it a really good job––a job that does good.

Is a dean higher than a principal?

Yes, a Dean is generally considered a higher position than a Principal, as a Dean leads a college or division within a university (higher ed), while a Principal leads a primary/secondary (K-12) school, with Deans overseeing broader academic/faculty matters and Principals focusing on daily school operations, though some large high schools have Deans for specific student affairs.
 

What is the lowest level of professor?

Traditionally, Assistant Professor has been the usual entry-level rank for faculty on the "tenure track", although this depends on the institution and the field.

What is a 7 year degree called?

Seven years of college typically leads to a Doctoral Degree (Ph.D. or professional doctorate like an M.D., J.D.), which is the highest level of education, involving extensive research and a dissertation after several years of undergraduate and master's level study, making it a common path for research, academia, or specialized professions. 

Can professors make 300k?

Yes, some university professors can make over $300k, especially in high-demand fields like Business, Law, Medicine, and Computer Science/Engineering, at top universities or with significant grant funding, while many in humanities earn far less, illustrating a huge salary gap driven by market forces. While an average professor earns much less, top earners in professional schools or those securing large grants can reach or exceed $300k, even at the assistant professor level in competitive areas. 

Who reports directly to the assistant dean?

The Assistant Dean usually has several direct reports, including Department Chairs, Academic Advisors, and Program Directors. These individuals help manage specific academic and student services within the school.

Is Associate Dean a high position?

An Associate Dean is an administrator at a university or college who specializes in a faculty, school, or administrative division, and ranks immediately below deans in the administrative hierarchy at the institution.

How much does an assistant dean of admissions make?

As of Jan 9, 2026, the average annual pay for an Assistant Dean Of Admissions in the United States is $38,736 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $18.62 an hour. This is the equivalent of $744/week or $3,228/month.

Do deans get paid a lot?

The average salary for a dean is $103,776 per year in the United States. 1.5k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated January 5, 2026).

What is the difference between a dean and an assistant dean?

The Assistant Dean provides administrative support to a dean or associate dean and may direct the operations of an office or program within the unit. The Assistant Dean may be responsible for a wide range of support services or may focus on a specialized area.

Should dean's list go on a resume?

There are certain times when a dean's list honor is appropriate to include on your resume, and times it's best to leave it off. You can generally include it if: You graduated within the last three years. You were on the dean's list every semester, or consistently for many semesters.

Who is below a dean?

Associate Dean. Associate dean is the title given to those who report to and are responsible to the dean for specific administrative functions. An associate dean oversees a particular area including undergraduate or graduate education, research, administration and finance or faculty affairs.

Is a dean considered an administrator?

Executive-level administrators, i.e., president, vice presidents, and vice provosts. College- and division-level administrators, e.g., deans, assistant and associate deans, associate vice presidents, comptroller. This group can be subdivided by area of responsibility.

Is dean an academic title?

A dean is an academic administrator who has scholastic, programmatic, managerial, and fiscal responsibilities for a school or college within a university. Deans support the advancement of their university's teaching, research, and service missions by providing vision and leadership for their college or school.

What percentage of Americans make over $100,000 annually?

The six-figure club is larger than you might think. According to 2024 data from YouGov Profiles, nearly 18% of American adults earn more than $100,000 a year. Among those aged 35 to 44, the figure rises to 25% — one in four.

What is considered a good salary in 2025?

A "good" salary in 2025 varies greatly by location and lifestyle, but generally, a single person might aim for $75,000-$100,000+ for comfort (higher in expensive states like Hawaii/California), while a family often needs $120,000-$150,000+ combined to live comfortably, with studies showing national averages for single adults needing over $80k-$90k to cover basics after taxes, highlighting significant regional differences. 

Is a 6 figure salary good anymore?

The lowest salary considered to be in the socioeconomic class is $36,132 in one state, while the highest hits a staggering $199,716 in another. But in every single state in America, a $100,000 salary is no longer enough to be considered upper-class—and families with six-figure incomes are even struggling to get by.